a pin of wood or other material driven or fitted into something, as to fasten parts together, to hang things on, to make fast a rope or string on, to stop a hole, or to mark some point.
Informal. a leg, either real or wooden: still on his pegs at 99.
a notch or degree: to come down a peg.
an occasion, basis, or reason: a peg to hang a grievance on.
Also called pin. Music. a pin of wood or metal in the neck of a stringed instrument that may be turned in its socket to adjust a string's tension.
Informal. a throw, especially in baseball: The peg to the plate was late.
to keep (the commodity price, exchange rate, etc.) at a set level, as by manipulation or law.
Informal. to throw (a ball).
Journalism. to base (an article, feature story, etc.) upon; justify by (usually followed by on): The feature on the chief of police was pegged on the riots.
Informal. to identify: to peg someone as a good prospect.
verb (used without object),pegged,peg·ging.
to work or continue persistently or energetically: to peg away at a homework assignment.
Informal. to throw a ball.
Croquet. to strike a peg, as in completing a game.
adjective
Also pegged.tapered toward the bottom of the leg: peg trousers.
Idioms
take down a peg, to reduce the pride or arrogance of; humble: I guess that'll take him down a peg!
a small cylindrical pin or dowel, sometimes slightly tapered, used to join two parts together
a pin pushed or driven into a surface: used to mark scores, define limits, support coats, etc
musicany of several pins passing through the head (peg box) of a stringed instrument, which can be turned so as to tune strings wound around themSee also pin (def. 11)
Also called: clothes pegBritisha split or hinged pin for fastening wet clothes to a line to dryUS and Canadian equivalent: clothespin
informala person's leg
Northern Englishdialecta tooth
Britisha small drink of wine or spirits, esp of brandy or whisky and soda
an opportunity or pretext for doing somethinga peg on which to hang a theory
a mountaineering piton
croqueta post that a player's ball must strike to win the game
anglinga fishing station allotted to an angler in a competition, marked by a peg in the ground
informala level of self-esteem, importance, etc (esp in the phrases bringortake down a peg)
mid-15c., from Middle Dutch pegge "peg," a common Low German word (cf. Low German pigge "peg," German Pegel "gauge rod, watermark," Middle Dutch pegel "little knob used as a mark," Dutch peil "gauge, watermark, standard"), of uncertain origin; perhaps from PIE *bak- "staff used as support" (see bacillus). To be a square peg in a round hole "be inappropriate for one's situation" is attested from 1836; to take someone down a peg is from 1580s, but the original literal sense is uncertain (most of the likely candidates are not attested until centuries later). Peg leg "wooden leg" attested from 1765.
v.
"fasten with or as if on a peg," 1590s, from peg (n.). Slang sense of "identify, classify" first recorded 1920. Related: Pegged; pegging.
